{"product_id":"2940013896161","title":"The Boy Allies At Verdun","description":"CHAPTER I\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHE EVE OF VERDUN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the twenty-second of February, 1916, an automobile sped northward\u003cbr\u003ealong the French battle line that for almost two years had held back the\u003cbr\u003earmies of the German emperor, strive as they would to win their way\u003cbr\u003efarther into the heart of France. For months the opposing forces had\u003cbr\u003ebattled to a draw from the North Sea to the boundary of Switzerland,\u003cbr\u003euntil now, as the day waned--it was almost six o'clock--the hands of time\u003cbr\u003edrew closer and closer to the hour that was to mark the opening of the\u003cbr\u003emost bitter and destructive battle of the war, up to this time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was the eve of the battle of Verdun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe occupants of the automobile as it sped northward numbered three. In\u003cbr\u003ethe front seat, alone at the driver's wheel, a young man bent low. He was\u003cbr\u003egarbed in the uniform of a British lieutenant of cavalry. Close\u003cbr\u003einspection would have revealed the fact that the young man was a youth of\u003cbr\u003esome eighteen years, fair and good to look upon. As the machine sped\u003cbr\u003ealong he kept his eyes glued to the road ahead and did not once turn to\u003cbr\u003ejoin in the conversation of the two occupants on the rear seat. Whether\u003cbr\u003ehe knew that there was a conversation in progress it is impossible to\u003cbr\u003esay, but the rush of wind would have made the conversation\u003cbr\u003eunintelligible, to say the least.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis youth on the front seat was Hal Paine, an American.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe two figures in the rear seat were apparently having a hard time\u003cbr\u003eto maintain their places, as they bounced from side to side as the\u003cbr\u003ecar swerved first one way and then the other, or as it took a flying\u003cbr\u003eleap over some object in the road, which even the keen eye of the\u003cbr\u003edriver had failed to detect. But in spite of this, even as they\u003cbr\u003ebounced, they talked.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47083478286576,"sku":"2940013896161","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013896161_p0.jpg?v=1763600997","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013896161","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}